New survey is snapshot of Northamptonshire business confidence before Covid health crisis

Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce.

Confidence was rising among business leaders in Northamptonshire in the first quarter of the year shortly before the economy was hit by the coronavirus pandemic, a new report shows.

According to the survey, the county’s business leaders had been boosted by a decisive general election result that ended three years of political uncertainty.

Only a few firms mentioned coronavirus as an issue and most of these were exporters or those relying on imports from China.

But within weeks, the corona virus had spread bringing many economies across the world to a near standstill.

Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce, which carried out the economic survey, said: “With this unparalleled change to our financial situation it would be easy to dismiss the findings of this report as irrelevant to our present times.

“However I believe if we are to successfully fight off the threat of the Coronavirus and return to normal, however long it takes, an idea of what ‘normal’ was will be helpful.”

The survey revealed while many firms had seen a drop in domestic sales and orders, overseas sales had risen although overseas orders fell. But many firms were optimistic about the future with a number recruiting new staff.